Cough, Cold and Flu Report 2015: Retail pharmacies a prime destination for flu vaccinations

Despite the fact that this year’s flu vaccine doesn’t match up well with this year’s predominant flu strain, there were slightly more people getting their flu shots through early November 2014 than there were last season at that time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. As of early November, 40.3% of people six months and older had gotten a flu shot, including 42% of children under the age of 18 years and 39.7% of adults. 

 

“There have been 145 million doses distributed [this year],” CDC director Tom Frieden told journalists in January. “We've seen uptake rates that are very similar to previous years, [but] not high enough,” he said. “If you look at the people who deal with flu the most — nurses and pharmacists — we’re at 90%-plus on vaccinations.”

 

One-in-4 adults are getting their flu shots at their local retail pharmacies, according to the CDC, second only to the doctor’s office, where 33.2% of adults get their flu shots. Walgreens has administered 7.6 million flu shots at pharmacies and clinics season to date, and Rite Aid is on pace to administer 3 million flu shots for its fiscal year 2015, for example.

 

 Children, however, are not nearly as likely to get their flu shot at their local pharmacy. The vast majority, 63.3%, get their flu shot from their pediatrician. Only 4.7% get their flu shot from a pharmacist, which falls behind the 5.2% of children who are getting their flu shot at the emergency room or hospital.  As many as 18.6% of adults received their flu shots at their worksite.